Cargills conducts capacity building programme for women-led SMEs

Cargills, in collaboration with the Agriculture Ministry’s ‘Hela Bojun’ programme, continues its efforts to empower women entrepreneurs through the Cargills Lak Bojun initiative. 

This programme aims to create sustainable incomes for women entrepreneurs by providing a marketplace to sell healthy and nutritious food items. 

Since its inception in May 2022, with two female small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the initiative has expanded to 11 Lak Bojun carts, with 44 beneficiaries. The SMEs are provided with carts and access to Cargills Food City premises to set up their carts free of charge.

The project focuses on locally sourced, authentic food items with high nutritional value, including ‘kola kanda’ and ready-to-eat foods made from root crops and grains, along with a variety of other healthy choices. Operating on weekdays in the morning, with some carts expanding to include lunch and dinner options, Lak Bojun offers customers an affordable way to enjoy these nutritious meals. Sustainable packaging options such as paper cups, banana leaves, kanda leaves and bio-compostable wraps are encourage

On July 9, 2025, Cargills hosted the fourth annual SME training programme on the Cargills head office premises. The programme featured an insightful session led by Agriculture Ministry Agriculture Instructor Kithmini Ariyasena. The session covered essential topics including food quality maintenance, cart cleanliness, hygienic practices and building strong customer relationships. 

The Cargills team also shared their knowledge with the SMEs on food safety practices, importance of saving and financial management. Officials from Cargills Bank joined the session to provide guidance on managing finances and supported the entrepreneurs in opening bank accounts in an effort to promote a culture of saving.

Cargills conducts weekly audits on all participants to ensure they consistently provide high-quality food that aligns with the guidelines of Hela Bojun. All costs associated with the project are fully covered by Cargills, ensuring that the entire income generated through the Lak Bojun programme directly benefits the women entrepreneurs.